The Weekly Wrap: December 21-27
Reading Realities
“When evening comes, I return to my home, and I go into my study; and on the thresh-hold, I take off my everyday clothes, which are covered in mud and mire, and I put on regal and curial robes; and dressed in a more appropriate manner I enter into the ancient courts of ancient men and am welcomed by them kindly, and there I taste the food that alone is mine, and for which I was born; and there I am not ashamed to speak to them, to ask them the reasons for their actions; and they, in their humanity, answer me; and for four hours I feel no boredom,I dismiss every affliction, I no longer fear poverty nor do I tremble at the thought of death; I become completely part of them.”
― Niccolò Machiavelli
I came across this quote by Macchiavelli this week, describing the ideal, even transcendent, experience every reader hopes for. Maybe you have to live in a different century. But my reading experience is rarely the exalted experience of Machiavelli’s
Most often, it is like this. I sit down to read, mug of coffee at my right hand. I read a few pages and my dentist office calls-an automated message reminding me of my dental appointment next month. So, I recover the train of what I’m reading, get another sip of coffee and read a few more pages–good interesting stuff. Then my mind wanders to a conversation with a friend where something like this came up.
Realizing that my mind has been somewhere else while my eyes were scanning the lines, I back up to the point where I hopped on a rabbit trail. After reading a bit more, I notice my mind wandering somewhere else–to my bladder. The inevitable consequence of that coffee. After addressing that bodily need, I come back to my book and read another ten pages, feeling like I’m getting in the flow. Then I hear the mail truck…with a shipment of books I’ve been awaiting.
Am I the only one for whom this is true? And this is only a sampling. I haven’t even gotten to dozing off, or having a limb “fall asleep” or a myriad of other interruptions like clothes in the dryer that need to be hung up, a drain clog, or those annoying pre-registration texts from all our doctors. Maybe Machiavelli had household servants to take care of stuff like this. I don’t.
I’ve stopped dreaming of four hours without boredom in the company of great minds. An interesting new thought or an intriguing plot turn is enough. Reading doesn’t fail me. And as for the rest? It keeps me grounded in life beyond the book.
Five Articles Worth Reading
Saul Bellow was one of the authors my mother enjoyed. When I started reading him, I discovered an intelligent mind with incredible reach who created memorable characters. Tyson Duffy recalls “The Manifold Mind of Saul Bellow.”
J.R.R. Tolkien’s first son asked him about Father Christmas at age three. For the next twenty-three years, his children received an annual letter from Father Christmas, in which Tolkien created yet another imaginary world. Jake Rossen describes “When J.R.R. Tolkien Posed as ‘Father Christmas’ for 23 Years.”
Last week I posted the most popular stories from Literary Hub. This week, the editors of Literary Hub posted “Our Favorite Lit Hub Stories From 2025.” Ten more great articles selected from this year’s output.
I’m always surprised by the writers who win big awards I’ve never heard of. For example, Rabih Alameddine won this year’s National Book Award. Lily Meyer profiles him in “The Writer Fueled by Life’s Randomness.”
Finally, what do Betty Boop, The Maltese Falcon, The Little Engine That Could, and The Murder at the Vicarage all have in common? All of them will pass into the public domain on New Year’s Day! Learn what else is passing into the public domain in “The cultural works becoming public domain in 2026, from Betty Boop to Nancy Drew.”
Quote of the Week
Poet Thomas Gray was born December 26, 1716. You may have heard a version of this but never knew who said it:
“Where ignorance is bliss, ‘Tis folly to be wise.”
Miscellaneous Musings
My Christmas book haul began on Christmas Eve. Just when we were headed to church, we spotted the box on our doorstep that contained Beth Macy’s Paper Girl. An Ohio native, the book is her narrative of growing up in nearby Urbana, Ohio.
Christmas Day brought four more from my son and his wife. Two were on my wish list: Thomas Pynchon’s Shadow Ticket and Robert McFarlane’s Is A River Alive. They also came up with two others, one a mystery and one sci fi. All of them look like good reading!
I’ll be posting my 2026 Reading Challenge next week. One preview–I’ve decided to limit myself to five challenges for the year. I’m keeping it real with challenges I intend to pursue personally to enrich my own reading life.
Next Week’s Reviews
Monday: William Kent Krueger, Manitou Canyon
Tuesday: Louis Markos, Passing the Torch
Wednesday: Bob on Books 2026 Reading Challenge
Thursday: The Month in Reviews: December 2025
Friday: David W. Opderbeck, Faithful Exchange
And as a preview to future attractions, I will be reviewing the first Jane Austen novel I’ve read the following Monday, Sense and Sensibility.
So, that’s The Weekly Wrap for December 21-27.
My best wishes to you all for your New Year’s celebrations. Stay safe!
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